Recent Posts in Sex Crimes Category

A former insurance claims adjuster who was suspected of terrorizing women in the 1970s as the Westside Rapist has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for seven murders that were committed in two waves of killings and sexual assaults.

John Floyd Thomas was sentenced for the killings that took place in a area stretching from Inglewood to Claremont. Police describe him as one of the California's most prolific serial killers, saying that he is still a suspect in at least 10 to 15 additional murders.

Police said the sexual attacks targeted women who ranged in age from their 50s to their 90s, many of whom lived alone. He broke into their homes at night and raped and choked his victims until they passed out or died. His sentence was part of a plea deal with prosecutors that was described as an act of pragmatism rather than an act of mercy.

She noted that capital punishment was not legal in California when all but one of the killings Thomas admitted to were committed. She said the death penalty would not have been relevant in this case because Thomas would probably die in prison during his appeals, given his age.

Thomas was born in Los Angeles and was raised by an aunt and his godmother after his mother died when he was 12. He attended public schools, and briefly joined the U.S. Air Force in 1956. At Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, he received a dishonorable discharge. The next year, he was convicted of burglary and attempted rape, which put him in prison for nearly almost 10 years. After his release, police noticed a string of assaults on elderly white women. The attacker was dubbed the Westside Rapist at the time.

The attacks appeared to stop in 1978, when Thomas was convicted and sentenced to prison for the rape of a Pasadena woman. After his release in 1983, he moved to Chino, coinciding with a wave of rapes and killings that began in the Pomona Valley area.

The Westside Rapist faded from public memory and authorities made limited progress in the Claremont killings until 2004, when the LAPD matched male DNA taken from two of the crime scenes. The final break in the case came in October 2008, when two officers collected DNA from Thomas while trying to identify the so-called Grim Sleeper serial killer, who was linked to homicides in South Los Angeles starting in the 1980s. Several months later, detectives learned that Thomas' genetic profile matched DNA evidence from four of the killings he admitted in court.

Police will conduct an intensive investigation following a murder or sexual assault. Therefore, if you are criminally charged, you will need a skilled criminal defense attorney from Marks & Brooklier. Criminal defense lawyers  Donald Marks and  Anthony Brooklier have been successfully representing clients for murder and rape charges for decades. They have the experience necessary to provide you with skilled criminal defense in all Los Angeles County Courts. It takes a dedicated legal team to fight a murder or sexual assault charge, and with our firm you can feel condifent that we will provide you with the highest quality criminal defense team. Our Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers are aggressive in the court room and look forward to defending your case. Contact us for a free case consultation.

A Beverly Hills movie producer pleaded guilty to molesting a teenage girl he met on the internet through MySpace. Prosecutors in Orange County, California said Iren Koster, 62, met her on the website when she was 14 years old and starting chatting with her online on a regular basis.

He met the girl in person four times starting in 2007 after she was 15 and 16 years old, and had oral sex with her in his vehicle and at her residence. A person in the Internet community became concerned about their communication and alerted the Fullerton Police Department in 2009. Mr. Koster pleaded guilty to two felony counts of lewd acts on a child and two felony counts of oral copulation of a minor. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in a California state prison. His film credits include producing the movies "Invisible Kids" and "Mustang Sally's Horror House."

When an individual is arrested for any type of sex crime, it usually means they have attempted or have performed a sexual act on another person using force and against their will. Anyone accused of a sex crime is labeled a sexual offender, pervert or sexual deviant. A conviction requires a person to register with a sex offense registry for the remainder of their lives. Once you have labeled as a sex offender, it is difficult to remove the reputation. If you are convicted of a sex crime, you will be viewed with distrust by friends and neighbors. Securing employment will prove to be extremely difficult, even finding a place to live can be a huge challenge. Therefore, it is critical that you handle obtain the services of the best possible sex crime criminal defense attorney. At Marks & Brooklier, we are highly skilled  Los Angeles Sex Crimes defense attorneys who know how to defend you against these charges.

Sex Crimes Attorneys Donald Marks and  Anthony Brooklier have years of experience in handling all types of sex crimes cases. With our knowledge of sex crime laws and how the courts will prosecute these cases. we work closely with our clients to defend them from unwarranted charges. As experienced court litigators, we can bring your defense to trial if necessary. We offer legal defense representation for all types of sex crimes criminal charges including Prostitution, Sexual assault, Sexual battery, Lewd & Lascivious conduct, Rape, Statutory Rape, Indecent exposure and child pornography charges.  Call our office for a free review of your case.

A former employee of an adult day-care center in El Monte pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting three severely disabled women with the mental capacity of children. The plea came in exchange for an agreement with prosecutors that he be sentenced to no more than eight years in prison.

Juan Fernando Flores faced up to 27 years had he been convicted of all the charges, which included multiple assaults and the transmission of a sexual disease. The victims all have mental disabilities, including Down's syndrome. He worked as a cook and driver at the government-subsidized facility, then known as Healthy Start. After the arrest, he confessed to assaulting the three women. Police suspected there may have been other victims but did not have enough evidence to press more charges. Under the terms of the plea, Flores would have to serve 85% of the sentence and register as a sex offender upon release.

The criminal case was set for trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Pomona. Instead, the judge set a sentencing hearing for which the victims and their families will be given an opportunity to describe the effect of the crimes on their lives. Several families pulled relatives out of the facility after the arrest, and police sent letters to clients' families suggesting they be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

When someone is accused or charged with a sex crime, it usually means that they have attempted or have performed a sexual act against another person using force and against their will. Anyone accused of a sexual assault is labeled a sexual predator, pervert or sexual deviant. A sexual assault conviction requires a person to register with a sex offense registry for the rest of their lives. If convicted of a sex crime, you will be viewed with distrust by neighbors and friends. Obtaining employment will be difficult. Therefore it is critical you handle this type of a charge with the best possible sex crime criminal defense attorney. At Marks & Brooklier, we are highly experienced Los Angeles sexual assault criminal defense attorneys who know how best to defend you against these charges. Attorneys  Donald Marks and  Anthony Brooklier have been successfully representing clients for decades and can do the same for you.  Call our office anytime, 24/7, for a free case evaluation. All consultations are strictly confidential.

In Santa Ana, California, a Lake Forest man goes on trial on multiple felony charges of raping five women and sexually assaulting a sixth. The charges against Sekayi Rudo White, could result in a sentence of 119 years to life in prison if he is convicted of all counts. He is accused of 14 felony counts involving six women he met in bars, had been dating, or was acquainted with during a five-year span.

Prosecutors say that three of the victims initially were too frightened to report the sexual attacks, but called police after they read news accounts of his arrest in connection with the other three women. And one of the assaults took place after he was released on $250,000 bail. He has been in custody without bail since that incident in Lake Forest on March 31, 2007.

White is accused of forcible rape, assault with intent to commit rape, sexual battery, dissuading a witness and residential burglary, plus sentencing enhancements for committing sex crimes against multiple victims, using a deadly weapon, and committing crimes while out on bail. The six incidents according to prosecutors:

On March 31, 2007, a 28-year-old woman was drinking with a friend at Patsy's Irish Pub in Lake Forest. Prosecutors say he covertly followed the victim home, knocked on her door, and was allowed inside after she recognized him. He raped her after she passed out.

On Feb. 21, 2007, he broke into the home of a 22-year-old woman he had been dating, pushed her to the ground, and stepped on her chest as he removed her clothes. He is accused of forcibly raping the victim as he held a large hunting knife to her neck.

One night in January 2007, a woman renting a room from the victim in the Feb. 21 incident was attacked in her bedroom after he broke the lock on her door. He is accused of threatening to kill her if she reported the rape.

On Aug. 13, 2006, White met a 19-year-old woman at Atlanta Lounge in Huntington Beach, California. He offered to give the drunken victim a ride home, but instead drove her to his apartment and raped her.

On Dec. 23, 2005 White met a 44-year-old woman at the Fox Sports Grill at the Irvine Spectrum and offered to give her a ride home because she had been drinking. After arriving at her Newport Beach apartment, he asked to use the bathroom. Prosecutors say he ran out of the bathroom naked, tried to rape the woman while threatening to kill her if she told anyone, but she screamed anyway and he fled the scene.

In September 2002, White met a 22-year-old woman in driving school and asked her out for a date. He is accused of taking her to a hotel in Santa Ana and forcibly raping her while she was temporarily unconscious. After the attack, he is accused of harassing the woman, who did not initially report the incident,  by showing up at her work and home.

If you have been charged with a rape or any type of sex crime, you need the skilled defense services of a Los Angeles rape criminal defense attorney who has the experience and knowledge of this area of the law. At Marks & Brooklier, attorneys Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier are qualified Los Angeles sex crimes lawyers who will aggressively defend you. Our skilled lawyers have handled high profile cases involving rape with great success and can do the same for you. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7, strictly confidential.

A San Diego FBI Special Agent announced the arrest of Amado Nicholas Hernandez, of Chico, California. Hernandez was arrested as he arrived on board a cruise ship at the Port of San Diego. Hernandez was arrested by FBI Agents based on information developed from an investigation conducted by the Sacramento FBI. According to the affidavit in a federal criminal complaint filed, Hernandez is alleged to have received and possessed child pornography in violation of federal laws.

In the summer of 2010, the Sacramento Division of the FBI received information from a deputy of the Glenn County Sheriff’s Department regarding a computer he received from a concerned citizen. The citizen had received the computer at an estate sale in Chico, California. The computer had been given away by a woman holding the sale because the computer was thought to be broken. The person who received the computer was a technician who was able to repair the computer. Once the computer was repaired, the  citizen discovered images of child pornography on the hard drive and promptly turned the computer over to law enforcement.

A law enforcement forensic review of the computer revealed that there were approximately 450 still images files of child pornography and approximately 250 video files of child pornography on the computer. Additional review of the computer and address checks for the estate sale residence linked Hernandez to both the computer and residence. The still and video images found on Hernandez’s computer were forwarded to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which compared those files with images of known child pornography victims. NCMEC subsequently reported that 43 of the submitted videos files were of known child victims from 15 different identifiable series of child pornography. They also reported that there were 72 child pornography still images from 35 different identifiable series of child pornography. As there were some video and image files from the same series, there were a total of 44 different child victims who appeared in video or image files on the abandoned computer.

A federal arrest warrant was authorized by a U. S. Magistrate Judge from the United States District Court, Eastern District of California, charging Hernandez with receiving and possessing child pornography. Hernandez was booked into the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Metropolitan Correctional Center in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles child pornography lawyers at Marks & Brooklier are qualified to defend individuals who have been accused of child pornography or any related sex crime. Having the most skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney will ensure you are provided with the defense you require to overcome the these charges. We provide our clients with the highest quality defense that includes a skilled legal team that is aware of how these charges can affect your future. Child pornography lawyers Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have the experience necessary to present a defense that will allow a jury to view all the facts without judging you based soley on emotion. Contact our office for a free case evaluation.

The girl's parents, as well as her four siblings, were interviewed at the Santa Ana police station, where investigators learned that a 5-year-old and 8-year-old had also been victims. Police took Gary Gruber, into custody at his home in the 1200 block of East Fairhaven. He was arrested on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, sexual penetration by threat of retaliation and continuous sexual abuse of a child.

Gruber met the girls' father about five years ago, while the two were serving time at Theo Lacy Jail and as the two went through the Phoenix House program for alcohol addiction.  A man with the same name and birth date as Gruber pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in 2005 and to misdemeanor hit-and-run and felony possession of a controlled substance charges in 2006, according to Orange County Superior Court records.

Gruber and the girls' father remained friends after their release, Bertagna said, and when the man and his wife went out on Saturday nights, they would leave their children in Gruber's care. Authorities believe the abuse began about three years ago, when the oldest victim was 10. Gruber began having her sleep in the bed with him overnight, Bertagna said. Police believe he molested the girl's younger sisters as well but not her two brothers.

Gruber told the girl that her parents would be mad at her if they learned what was going on, Bertagna said. He also claimed that he had just been awarded custody of his three sons from foster care and that he would lose them if she said anything, Bertagna said.

Los Angeles lewd & lascicious acts criminal defense attorneys, Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier are exceptionally qualified to represent clients who have been accused of sex crimes with children criminal charges. Having the most skilled lewd & lascicious acts criminal defense lawyer will ensure you are provided with the defense you require to overcome the stigma and charges in your case. We provide our clients with the highest quality defense, including a dedicated legal team that is aware of how sex crimes with children charges can adversely affect your future. Marks & Brooklier has the experience necessary to present the type of defense that will allow a jury to view the facts without being caught up in the nature of the charges made against you.

Serving the Los Angeles & Beverly Hills areas since 1976, we have a thorough understanding of the complexity and details involved in defending against sex crimes against children charges. Our skilled and caring lawyers will provide you with the individual support and experience you need to fully understand the process and guide you through this difficult time in your life. Conact our office for a free, strictly confidential, consultation.

A Santa Ana man was charged with abducting and raping a 16-year-old girl as she was walking home from a fast-food restaurant. Police were led to Juan Humberto Avila, from DNA collected after he was convicted of a federal weapons charge in Ariznoa.

The girl was walking home after meeting friends at an In-and-Out Burger in Santa Ana about 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 21, 2008, when her attacker jumped on her and punched her, according to prosecutors. Avila allegedly dragged the girl across the street while threatening to stab her to death if she screamed. He allegedly forced her behind large storage containers at the rear of a parking lot, where he repeatedly raped and sodomized the teenager before forcing her to orally copulate him.

Avila stole the girl's bank card before fleeing. She ran home and reported the assault to the Santa Ana Police Department. Prosecutors said DNA was recovered from the girl during a medical rape examination, but the case remained cold until recently, when the recovered DNA was matched to Avila's.

Avila is charged with felony sexual penetration by a foreign object by force and two felony counts each of forcible rape, sodomy by force and forcible oral copulation. He is also accused of inflicting great bodily injury and kidnapping. Avila has a previous strike against him from a 1997 conviction for participating in a criminal street gang. He faces a maximum sentence of 355 years to life in state prison if convicted. Prosecutors planned to request that Avila be held on $2-million bail.

If you have been charged with a rape or kidnapping, you will need the services of a Los Angeles rape criminal defense lawyer who has the special knowledge of this area of the law. At Marks & Brooklier, attorneys Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier are qualified Los Angeles and Beverly Hills sex crimes lawyers to represent you. You will need the over 33 years of experience that our law firm can provide you with. Our legal team has handled high profile cases involving rape and kidnapping with great success and can do the same for you. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7, strictly confidential.

In Sacramento, California, a United States Attorney  announced that United States District Judge Garland E. Burrell sentenced two men to 20-year prison terms today as follows:

David Wehde—Docket #: No. Cr.S-07-491-GEB

David Wehde, 24, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty to using a minor to produce images of child pornography and for receiving visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct via the Internet. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and a life term of supervised release upon his release from custody. He will also have to register as a sex offender and adhere to numerous other conditions of release.

Wehde came to the attention of law enforcement when a minor female from the Natomas area reported Wehde had contacted her via an Internet site called "espinthebottle.com," and that they had sexual relations. At the time the girl was 13 years old, and Wehde was 21 years old. During the examination of Wehde's computer, a forensic analyst found images and videos of child pornography along with Internet chats between Wehde, the 13-year-old girl, and a second 13-year-old girl from El Dorado County. In the chats between Wehde and the El Dorado County girl, the two discussed sex acts they had engaged in. The forensic analyst also found sexually explicit and provocative images Wehde had taken of this girl using his cell phone camera and evidence that he had sent one of the sexually provocative images to another person he communicated with via the Internet.

This case was the product of an extensive investigation by officers and detectives from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and the Sacramento Valley High Tech Crimes Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Laurel D. White prosecuted the case.

Russell Johnson—Docket #: 2:07-cr-491-GEB

Russell Johnson, of Tracy, California, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. On October 13, 2009, FBI, local, and state law enforcement officers conducted searches in the residences of registered sex offenders in a number of counties, including San Joaquin. Agents contacted Johnson and seized electronic media, including a laptop computer, central processing unit towers, external drives, and other computer components. In addition, law enforcement seized a thumb drive and three compact discs that had been tossed out of the window of the motel room where Johnson was staying when law enforcement knocked and announced themselves at the door. A subsequent forensic analysis of the computer revealed approximately 1,960 image files and 28 video of child pornography. Johnson has two prior state convictions for lewd acts upon a child under 14.

This case is the product of a joint investigation involving multiple agencies in support of the FBI's Innocent Images National Initiative. Both cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC mobilizes federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California and ask to speak with the PSC coordinator.

Attorney's Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier are well known Los Angeles child pornography criminal defense attorneys.

The Los Angeles child pornography criminal defense lawyers at Marks & Brooklier are qualified to represent clients who have been accused of child pornography or any related crime. Having the most skilled and regarded criminal defense attorney will ensure you are provided with the defense you require to overcome the charges in your case. We provide our clients with the highest quality defense, including a dedicated legal team that is aware of how these charges can adversely affect your future. Marks & Brooklier has the experience necessary to present the type of defense that will allow a jury to view the facts without being caught up in the nature of the charges made against you. Contact our office for a free consultation

Authorities using DNA evidence have linked a 44-year-old convicted murderer and rapist on death row to a 1990 double homicide in Riverside County. Alfredo Rolando Prieto, who is already on California's death row and who recently received the death penalty for a murder in Virginia, was linked to the slayings of Stacey Siegrist, 19, and Anthony Gianuzzi, 21, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.

On May 5, 1990, a jogger discovered the victims’ bodies along a dirt power line access road west of the intersection of Canal and Alta streets in Rubidoux. The two were dating and had not been seen for nearly two days. Both had been shot once in the side of their heads and once in the back of their necks. Siegrist had also been sexually assaulted.

Earlier this year, Riverside County’s cold case unit submitted evidence from the crime scene to a private laboratory. The lab linked the DNA to Prieto. The department said it delayed notifying the public to ensure Virginia jurists were not influenced during the penalty phase of Prieto’s trial there. Prieto has been linked to nine murders and four sexual assaults, including the 1992 murder and rape of 15-year-old Yvette Woodruff of Ontario, the crimes for which he was sentenced to death. He is appealing his California death sentence.

In 2005, preliminary DNA tests implicated him in three 1988 Virginia slayings. Prosecutors from Fairfax County, Va., extradited Prieto from California to face trial for two of those murders. Prieto has operated with three other accomplices in the past, and authorities believe the Rubidoux murders involved one or two additional suspects.

If you have been arrested or under investigation for murder, it is important that you consult a Los Angeles homicide and murder criminal defense attorney immediately to begin planning of your legal defense. A conviction for murder can result in a lifetime sentence in a California penitentiary or even the death penalty.

Los Angeles Police will conduct an intensive investigation following a murder. If you are criminally charged, you will need an experienced murder criminal defense lawyer from Marks & Brooklier. Attorney's Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been successfully representing clients for murder or homicide charges for over four decades. They have the skill necessary to provide you with an exceptional criminal defense. We will conduct our own thorough investigation of the facts and study all evidence obtained against you in order to present a strong defense. Our Los Angeles homicide criminal defense lawyers are aggressive and are well-versed in a court room setting and look forward to assisting you with your case. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7.

San Diego FBI Special Agent in Charge announced the arrest of Joseph Valencia Gonzales II, age 36. He was arrested by FBI and NCIS agents on Naval Base Coronado. At the time of his arrest, Gonzalez was sitting in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant, using the restaurant’s wireless Internet service to view and download child pornography. FBI and NCIS agents arrested Gonzales as he sat in the driver seat of his truck typing on a laptop computer in his lap.

In a criminal complaint filed in United States District Court, Southern District of California, San Diego, California, Valencia was charged with possessing child pornography. Gonzalez’s laptop computer was found to contain at least 42 image files and three videos depicting child pornography.

It is anticipated that Valencia will be booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) followed by his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. If convicted, Valencia faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the child pornography charge.

This investigation was assisted by the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose members include the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the Chula Vista Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Office, the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service, the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the National City Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, the Oceanside Police Department, the El Cajon Police Department, the San Diego State University Police Department, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. This case was brought about as part of the Department of Justice Project Safe Childhood (PSC), and the FBI’s Innocent Images National Initiative (IINI). Both are nationwide initiatives designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.

Los Angeles child pornography criminal defense attorneys, Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier are exceptionally qualified to represent clients who have been accused of child pornography or any related sex crime offense. Having the most skilled and regarded child pornography criminal defense lawyer will ensure you are provided with the defense you require to overcome the stigma and charges in your case. We provide our clients with the highest quality defense, including a dedicated legal team that is aware of how these charges can adversely affect your future. Marks & Brooklier has the experience necessary to present the type of defense that will allow a jury to view the facts without being caught up in the nature of the charges made against you.

Serving the Los Angeles & Beverly Hills areas since 1976, we have a thorough understanding of the complexity and details involved in defending against child porn charges. Having successfully defended other individuals against these types of charges, we are confident we can do the same for you. Our skilled and caring lawyers will provide you with the individual support and experience you need to fully understand the process and guide you through this difficult time in your life. Conact our office for a free, strictly confidential, consultation.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation to put some sex offenders in prison for life at a bittersweet ceremony for family and friends of a 17-year-girl who was killed after being abducted while running less than seven months ago.

Chelsea's Law is named for Chelsea King, who was murdered by 31-year-old convicted child molester John Gardner. He was sentenced to life in prison fter pleading guilty to murdering Chelsea and 14-year-old Amber Dubois. "Because of Chelsea, California's children will be safer. Because of Chelsea, this never has to happen again," said Schwarzenegger, an early backer of the legislation.

The ceremony began under a light drizzle then gave way to sunshine at an outdoor theater in Balboa Park, where Chelsea played French horn for the San Diego Youth Symphony. Many of the 200 people in the audience carried sunflowers, her favorite flower.

Brent and Kelly King, who traveled from their new home in suburban Chicago, thanked lawmakers for speeding the bill through the Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. Brent King said he was initially skeptical about the bill's prospects and had been preparing to sponsor a ballot initiative. Kelly King said the lawmakers were an example for young people.

The Kings, in an interview, said they plan to promote similar legislation in other states and have tentatively targeted Texas, Florida, Colorado and Ohio, the scenes of high-profile child abductions. They have not settled on a timetable.

The Kings have not been considering their new home state of Illinois for legislation because they want to shield their 14-year-old son Tyler from the spotlight. The avid baseball player has recently shown renewed interest in the game.

The Kings plan to use their nonprofit foundation, Chelsea's Light, to promote peer counseling programs  and to offer scholarships for college and other programs.

Chelsea's Law allows life without parole sentences for adult predators who kidnap, drug, bind, torture or use a weapon while committing a sex crime against a child. Life terms could be ordered for first-time and repeat offenders.

It also increases other penalties for child molesters, including requiring lifetime parole with GPS tracking for people convicted of forcible sex crimes against children under 14. Previous law permitted lifetime GPS monitoring, but most tracking ended when offenders leave parole.

Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, the San Diego Republican who spearheaded the Chelsea's Law legislation, said in an interview it would have resulted in a longer prison sentence, possibly life, and longer parole for Gardner in 2000 for molesting a 13-year-old neighbor. Gardner served five years of a six-year sentence and repeatedly violated parole. Supporters came to the ceremony wearing T-shirts with one of Chelsea's favorite quotations, "They can because they think they can," from the Roman poet Virgil.

If you have been arrested with a sex crime, you will need to consult a Los Angeles sex crime criminal defense lawyer who has the special knowledge of this area of the law. Attorneys Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier are qualified Los Angeles and Beverly Hills sex crimes criminal attorneys to defend you. You will need the over 33 years of experience that our law firm can provide you with. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7, strictly confidential.

A man suspected of being an international serial rapist is in custody in Orange County after being extradited from Austria following a DNA match through INTERPOL. The defendant was featured on the Orange County District Attorney’s Ten Most Wanted list.

Ali Achekzai, 32, formerly of Ladera Ranch, will be arriving at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from Austria. He is being escorted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Tustin Police Department.

The defendant will be held in the Orange County Jail on $1 million bail and is subject to a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement nobail hold. He is expected to be arraigned in the Central Jail, Santa Ana. 

Achekzai is charged with two felony counts of forcible rape, two felony count of sexual penetration by foreign object by force, one felony count of aggravated assault, one felony count of assault with the intent to commit a sexual offense, and sentencing enhancements and allegations for committing sexual crimes against more than one victim and causing great bodily injury to a victim. The Orange County District Attorney's Office is prosecuting the defendant for rapes and assault with the intent to commit a sexual offense  that occurred in both Orange and San Diego Counties. If convicted, Achekzai faces a maximum sentence of 68 years and four months to life in state prison.

Tustin Police Department is the lead investigating agency and the FBI coordinated the extradition. The OCDA charged the defendant and a $500,000 arrest warrant was issued for him Oct. 19, 2004. The warrant was later increased to $1 million and Achekzai was arrested in Salzburg, Austria, on Jan. 26, 2010. The Federal Ministry of Justice in Vienna, Austria granted extradition on Aug. 13, 2010.

Achekzai's return to the United States will be funded by the FBI Project Welcome Home, which provides funding to facilitate the transportation of fugitives wanted by the FBI to the United States. It is anticipated that the federal government will dismiss the federal warrant charging Achekzai with Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution in lieu of the OCDA prosecution.

On Jan. 31, 2004, Achekzai is accused of meeting 21-year-old Jane Doe #1 at a nightclub in Laguna Beach. Shortly after 2:00 a.m., Jane Doe #1 observed the defendant following her in his car as she was driving on Jamboree Road toward Tustin. The defendant is accused of following Jane Doe #1 as she drove around and attempted to get away from him. Achekzai is accused of pulling up near Jane Doe in his car and yelling for her to pull over because he wanted to talk to her about something important.

Jane Doe #1 parked in a fast food restaurant lot and Achekzai is accused of getting into her car under the pretense of warning her about another man she had met at the nightclub. The victim became scared, got out of her car, and attempted to run away. Achekzai is accused of getting out of the victim’s car, chasing Jane Doe #1, catching her, and leading her back to the car as she cried and struggled to get away. Once they were back in the car, the defendant is accused of grabbing Jane Doe #1 by the neck, holding her down, digitally penetrating and forcibly raping her. He is accused of then getting back into his car and driving away. Jane Doe #1 reported the rape to police and DNA was collected from her clothing. TPD investigated this case.

On May 3, 2004, Achekzai is accused of meeting two women while at a nightclub with his male cousin in San Diego. Late that night, the defendant is accused of going with his cousin and the two women to Mount Soledad in San Diego County. Achekzai is accused of isolating 21-year-old Jane Doe #2 from the other two friends by inviting her to take a walk through a dark park. Once the defendant was alone with the victim, he is accused of grabbing her and pulling her to the ground as she struggled to get away.

Achekzai is accused of repeatedly hitting and punching the victim and telling her that he would kill her if she screamed. He is accused of covering the victim’s mouth to keep her quiet and forcibly raping and sexually penetrating her in the bushes. The defendant is accused of threatening Jane Doe #2 that he would kill her if she told anyone about the rape.

When the defendant and victim returned to the car, Jane Doe #2 immediately told her friend that she had been raped. Achekzai is accused of becoming angry and punching her in the mouth, knocking out her front tooth. Jane Doe #2 reported the rape to police and DNA was collected from her clothing. The San Diego Police Department investigated this case. In July 2004, DNA linked both rapes to the same defendant. Charges were filed against Achekzai for the sexual assaults of Jane Doe #1 and Jane Doe #2 in October 2004.

On Oct. 26, 2002, Achekzai is accused of getting into a limousine with four other people including 24-year-old Jane Doe #3, her friend, and two friends of the defendant. The group had been at a nightclub in Laguna Beach and drove to Costa Mesa to drop one of the men off at home. While still in the limousine, Achekzai is accused of removing Jane Doe #3’s pants and assaulting her after she fell asleep with the intent to commit a sexual offense. The victim woke up to find the defendant fondling her breasts. Achekzai is accused of swearing at the victim and telling Jane Doe #3 to shut up as she screamed. Jane Doe #3’s friend was also asleep in the limousine.

Achekzai is accused of fleeing the country prior to being charged for the rapes. The defendant is accused of fleeing illegally into Canada. He is accused of changing his name several times and obtaining identification under the identities of Ali Achekzai, Ali Achekza, Ali Achelczia, Waleed Nawabi, Walid Nawabi, David Azizi, and Wali Ahmed Shoja. He is a national and citizen of Afghanistan and is suspected to have lived in Afghanistan, Germany, San Francisco, Canada, Austria, and England.

Based on the fact that Achekzai had multiple California victims, and knowing that he fled internationally, Tustin Police Department worked with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Crime Lab in December 2009 to coordinate the submission of Achekzai’s DNA to the international police agency, INTERPOL.

On April 24, 2009, Achekzai was arrested in Austria for rape under the name Wali Ahmed Shoja. His DNA was taken at that time, but the case in Austria was later dismissed. As a result of this case, INTERPOL matched the defendant from the Austria rape to the rapes in Orange and San Diego Counties and determined that Achekzai was living in Salzburg, Austria.

He was arrested Jan. 26, 2010, at the Hotel Unterbrunn in the Austrian town of Neukirchen am Grossvenediger. He was arrested by the Salzburg Criminal Investigative Division in cooperation with the FBI.

The case against and arrest of Achekzai has been a coordinated effort between the Tustin Police Department, Orange County District Attorney's Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation and FBI Legal Attache in Vienna, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and ICE Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshals Service, United States Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, Toronto Police Services Fugitive Squad, INTERPOL, Salzburg CID, Austrian Federal Police, Austrian Ministries of Justice and Interior, San Diego Police Department and San Diego District Attorney’s Office.

If you have been charged with a sex crime, you need to contact a Los Angeles rape and sex crimes criminal defense attorney who has the extensive knowledge of this area of the law. At Marks & Brooklier, we have qualified California and Los Angeles rape and sex crimes lawyers to defend you. You will absolutely need the experience that our law firm can provide you with. Our international legal team has handled high profile cases involving rape and other sex crimes with great success and can do the same for you. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7, strictly confidential.

A 75-year-old former Santa Monica resident with a previous child-sex conviction is expected to plead guilty in Los Angeles federal court to traveling to Cambodia to have sex with boys.

Jack Louis "Dad" Sporich, most recently a resident of Sedona, Ariz., was arrested by Cambodian national authorities in February 2009, after two 12- year-old boys told of being repeatedly molested by the man, according to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

According to an affidavit in support of the charges, witnesses alleged that Sporich drove a motor bike through the streets of the city of Siem Riep, dropping Cambodian currency as a way to attract children. Last summer, Sporich was expelled from Cambodia and brought to Los Angeles, where he was arrested pursuant to a warrant in the case.

Sporich is facing a statutory maximum of 120 years in federal prison, but his plea agreement states that prosecutors are instead recommending a term of 10 years behind bars and a lifetime period of supervised release. The document also states that as part of his deal, Sporich will pay an amount up to $30,000 to be deposited in a fund for the education of the boys he had sex with.

In 1987, Sporich was convicted in Ventura County of lewd acts with a child under 14 years of age and sentenced to 18 years behind bars, according to court papers.

The defendant was charged as a result of operation "Twisted Traveler," an ongoing effort by federal law enforcement to identify and prosecute "sex tourists" who travel to Cambodia to engage in illicit sex with children, a U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman said.

If you have been charged with a federal sex crime, you will need the services of a federal sex crimes criminal defense lawyer who has the special knowledge of this area of the law. At Marks & Brooklier, we have qualified Los Angeles and Beverly Hills federal sex crimes attorneys to represent you. You will need the over 33 years of experience that our law firm can provide you with. Our legal team has handled high profile cases involving federal sex crimes with great success and can do the same for you. Having represented alleged mafia bosses as well as organized crime defendents, we are well-versed in this area of the law. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7, strictly confidential.

Three men convicted in Orange County sexual assault take case to California Supreme Court. Gregory Haidl and two others who videotaped their attack on a 16-year-old girl want their convictions overturned and do not want to register as sex offenders. The three men were found guilty in Orange County nearly five years ago of sexually assaulting an unconscious 16-year-old girl and videotaping her have asked the state Supreme Court to overturn their convictions.

Gregory Haidl, 24, the son of a former Orange County Assistant Sheriff; Kyle Nachreiner, 25; and Keith Spann, also 25, were convicted in 2005 of sexual assault and sentenced to six years in prison. All three have been paroled. Haidl's attorney said petitions were filed with the state high court to hear arguments on why the three should have their convictions overturned and not have to register as sex offenders.

All three were 17 years old when the assault occurred in 2002 at the elder Haidl's home in Corona del Mar. They lost their case at the appeals court level last month. This is their last chance to appeal their convictions at the state level. If the state high court agrees to hear the case, their attorney will argue that the trial judge did not give his client a fair trial because he excluded evidence that the victim participated in similar sexual activity not long before the assault. The woman's sexual history was protected under California's rape shield law.

The attorney also plans to argue that the requirement to register as sex offenders should be dropped because the jury found the trio not guilty on an assault with a deadly weapon charge. Without that charge they would have been tried as juveniles and would not have to register.Prosecutors say the men's attempts to clear their records is exactly why they should have to register as sex offenders. "Men who are convicted of preying on women who are too intoxicated to say 'no' are sexual predators," said Orange County district attorney's spokeswoman Susan Kang Schroeder. "The public has the right to know who they are, where the live and what they did." The state Supreme Court has 60 days to decide whether to hear the case.

If you have been charged with a sex crime in Los Angeles or Orange County, you need to contact a Los Angeles sex crimes criminal lawyer immediately. Do not risk being convicted of a sex crime and being labeled a sexual predator for the rest of your life. This type of conviction will follow you wherever you go. With the implementation of Megan's Law, which was enacted in 1994 after a little girl was raped and murdered by a sexual predator, once convicted of a sexual offense you are required to register anywhere you move as a convicted "sex offender".

At Marks and Brooklier, we are Los Angeles sex crimes attorneys who have successfully defended our clients since 1976 in all types of sex crimes including: aggravated sexual assault, child abuse, child molestation, child pornography, failure to register, indecent exposure, lewd & lascivious conduct, molestation, obscenity, possession of child pornography, prostitution, rape, sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual battery, solicitation, solicitation for prostitution, statutory rape and sodomy.

Sex crimes cases needs the best defense possible, to forestall the grim outcome of being labeled. With our experienced and caring assistance, we can skillfully direct your defense to a successful outcome. Contact our office today for a free consultation to discuss your situation.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office charged a Compton High School math teacher with multiple felonies, alleging that he sexually abused three female students.

Nicolei Hurtado Ocaña, 28, of Placentia was charged with two counts of committing lewd acts upon a child, two counts of contact with a minor for sexual offense, and one count each of oral copulation of a person under 18 and child molesting, a misdemeanor.

According to the criminal complaint, the offenses took place at the school between September 2008 and last month. One of the victims was 15, and the other two were 16 at the time of the offenses.

Ocaña was arrested by investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Special Victims Bureau. He is being held in lieu of $390,000 bail. If convicted, Oca ña faces a maximum term of six years in state prison.

If you have been charged with a sex crime, you need to contact a Los Angeles sex crimes lawyer immediately. At Marks & Brooklier we have years of experience in handling sex crimes cases. With our knowledge of sex crime law and our legal resources, we work closely with our clients to defend them from unwarranted charges. 

In a recent case in San Bernardino Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga, our client was charged with sex crimes subject to registration as a sex offender. We were able to obtain a plea agreement where our client was able to have his registration terminated after completion of probation.

Do not risk being convicted of a sex crime and being labeled a sexual predator for the rest of your life. Contact our office immediately for a free consultation 24/7